Even before the year has come to a close, Anil Sharma—the director behind the blockbuster, Gadar 2: The Katha Continues—has made his way back to a movie set. He recently wrapped up the first schedule of Journey, which is led by Nana Patekar. If Gadar 2 saw Sunny Deol’s protagonist cross the border to rescue his son, the upcoming father-son drama is understated and realistic. Sources say that Journey is along the lines of Amitabh Bachchan and Hema Malini’s Baghban (2003).

A source from the creative team reveals, “Journey spans three cities and revolves around elderly parents and their child, played by Utkarsh Sharma. It will remind viewers of Baghban, and Rajesh Khanna and Shabana Azmi-starrer, Avtaar [1983]. South actor Kushboo Sundar plays Nana’s wife.”

While the cast kicked off the shoot in the first week of November in Varanasi, the second schedule will be conducted in Shimla in January. The source adds, “Beginning January 15, a 40-day schedule has been lined up. The final leg will be in Mumbai, with Anil planning to complete the shoot by March-end.”

For the director, it is a pleasure to work with an actor of Patekar’s calibre. Anil says, “Once he gets the script, he is like a student. Nana-ji will sit with the director, write down each dialogue, and take notes in a book. He tells us, ‘When I come on the set, I should be fully comfortable with my lines so that I can focus on my performance.’ That’s why his dialogues and performances look so real.”

The filmmaker, who is riding the wave of success after Gadar 2, says he doesn’t feel pressured to deliver another hit. “After Gadar 2, the expectations have naturally increased, but I don’t let them affect me. If Journey manages to win people’s hearts, I will be happy.”